Content:

(PaPaPa, RoRo, B, C, LLL, VV, S, AA, DD, MMM) Very strong mixed worldview with some strong Romantic elements of people struggling against society, light moral elements of trying to do the right thing and a couple brief Catholic/Christian references, especially to angels and forgiveness, but there are basically no repercussions to the main character’s stealing; at least 121 obscenities (including many “f” words) and five profanities, plus scatological commentary with man urinating in public; strong violence includes man hits other man, man beats a man almost to death, multiple scenes of men beating the main character, main character promises to stop being violent after having baby; no sex scenes, but there’s some crude humor with sexual jokes, kissing, and couple has a child out of wedlock; no nudity; drinking and drunkenness; smoking and drug use; and, lying, major plot point about stealing, dysfunctional family relationships.

Summary:

In the Scottish comedy THE ANGELS’ SHARE, a troubled young man in Ireland tries to make a way for his new family by stealing some expensive whiskey. The protagonist in ANGELS SHARE gains success by stealing, and the movie’s plot points don’t flow well. There’s also lots of foul language and brief drug content.

Review:

Reviewed at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.

A troubled young man in Ireland tries to make a way for his new family in THE ANGELS’ SHARE. The means by which success is gained in ANGELS’ SHARE is morally reprehensible, and the plot points don’t flow well. In fact, some crucial plot points are never solved.

Robbie has already done a term in jail for brutally beating a boy, but once again, he’s on trial for some violence. Missing the jail sentence by a hair, Robbie’s put into a community service program. Robbie joins several other troubled people. They include an exceptionally unintelligent man named Albert, a woman who won’t stop stealing named Mo and a joker nicknamed Rhino. They are put under the supervision of Harry.

Robbie starts to pay back his time. Seeing something in Robbie, Harry takes him under his wings, giving him a place to stay when things get rough. Though Robbie’s girlfriend has just had a baby boy, he can’t visit her because her violent brothers keep him away.

Trying to make a better life for Robbie, Harry takes him to a Whiskey Brewery with some of the others. Taking an interest in learning the art of describing whiskey, Robbie and Harry become friends who travel to different whiskey tasting conventions. When Robbie learns of a highly prized whiskey that’s being auctioned, he gets excited and tells Rhino, Albert and Mo.

Mo devises a plan to steal the multi-million dollar whiskey. So, the group does just that, and Robbie believes it is a solution to helping his family get out of town, get a job and turn away from violence.

THE ANGELS’ SHARE has a mixed worldview. Robbie wants to do right and change his way for the better of his family, but does so in a morally reprehensible way, by stealing. Also, the writer decides that, instead of dialogue, he would constantly add in lots of obscenities. Of course, this adds nothing to the movie. Also, the rivalry between the main character and his girlfriend’s family is very sad. There seems to be no end to it.

ANGELS’ SHARE has some comical elements with the character that has little intelligence. Overall, it seems as if the plot line changes completely from the intense rivalry between the main character and his girlfriend’s brothers, changing to a comical take on them stealing the whiskey. There’s no sort of resolution to the rivalry. Also, the characters don’t receive any moral repercussions for stealing the whiskey. In addition, ANGELS’ SHARE contains lots of foul language and some drug content. Of course, the movie’s title refers to the small amount of whiskey that evaporates when it’s aging in the cask.

MOVIEGUIDE® cannot recommend THE ANGELS’ SHARE.

In Brief:

THE ANGELS’ SHARE is a Scottish comedy. Young Robbie’s girlfriend has just had a baby boy. Robbie’s done a term in jail for brutally beating one boy, but once again he’s on trial for violence. Missing the jail sentence by a hair, Robbie’s put into a community service program run by Harry. Harry shows Robbie the world of whiskey tasting. Robbie learns of a whiskey that’s up for auction for millions of dollars. So, he and some other troubled characters in the community service program try to steal the whiskey.

THE ANGELS’ SHARE has a mixed worldview. The main character, Robbie, wants to do right and change his ways for his new family. However, he does this in an immoral way – by stealing. Also, the plotline changes from the intense rivalry between Robbie and his girlfriend’s brothers, to a comical take on Robbie and his friends stealing the whiskey. There’s no resolution to the rivalry. Also, the characters don’t suffer any moral repercussions for their crime. Finally, THE ANGELS’ SHARE has many obscenities and brief drug content. MOVIEGUIDE® cannot commend such comical delinquency.